She smiles through circle time marred by disputes over five little ducks and curse words. When a callous classmate says, “I hate that story. It’s stupid. I hope a fox eats the ducks and they never come back,” the preschool teacher gently urges him to keep his opinions bland and peaceful.

She smiles when the Helicopter Parent of the Year critiques her methods and her tools, prattling on about Sharpie markers and how she read “somewhere” that “they” say Sharpies are toxic.

Major pruning of most roses needs to be completed by bud break. Roses respond to pruning and grooming by producing flowers in greater quantity. For most roses, heavier pruning yields larger, more attractive flowers. Major pruning is done in early spring before growth begins, while grooming is done throughout the growing season.

Winter is a gloomy time of year for most Southerners who thrive on heat and sunshine.

For local gardeners who enjoy the blooming plants and bushes that accompany those summer days, there are a handful of winter blooming plants and shrubs that can carry them through until spring planting arrives.

Among them are winter jasmine. Native to China, the deciduous shrub grows 6 to 8 feet wide and 3 to 4 feet high. It can climb trellises, but looks best tumbling down a bank or hillside or tumbling over the top of a retaining wall.